Good Customer Service is Vital

Good Customer Service is Vital

If there is one thing an entrepreneur to a multinational CEO can agree on, it is the fact that good customer service is essential to running a successful business.

What is customer service?

Customer service encompasses all the employee policies you have that concern your customers, from how to greet them to successful strategies in handling their complaints.

Quality customer service is all about making customers feel valued/important and appreciated by your business.

Why is it important?

Every day you are competing with other businesses for each customer’s money and loyalty. Providing consistently good customer service helps you gain customer loyalty and essential feedback for your business.

It is far costlier to find new customers than to keep the ones you have. Plus, it helps in reduce turnover (employees will often quit their jobs if they spend too much time with dissatisfied and angry customers).

Providing Good Customer Service

Your employees’ attitudes toward your customers impacts your company’s ability to provide good service and retain those customers. Good customer service training is key to your organization’s success – and that means consistent reinforcement and support to ensure your staff are one of the best reasons your customers stay customers.

It is critical to note that employees specifically trained in the art of quality customer service are the company’s “secret sauce” to providing satisfaction to customers.

Aside from providing customer service training, also ensure good customer service by hiring the right people, developing customer service policies, and conducting surveys among your customers from time to time.

Outsourcing your business calls will help you attain the work-life balance you’ve been aspiring for. It brings a more positive experience to your customers without compromising your productivity and company resources.

Kick the Clutter for Faster Service and Higher Customer Retention

Kick the Clutter for Faster Service and Higher Customer Retention

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Are you challenged by keeping up with customer calls or need a way to speed up your firm’s response to their questions? We can help. When your customers call, they do not just want solutions. They want quick solutions from you. This is just one of the many reasons a live answering service can be beneficial to your company.

As a company offering live answering service, we can:

Take your client’s calls promptly and professionally
Your clients’ time is valuable. When you keep them waiting too long on the line, they are more likely to hang up and call a company that values their time by answering promptly and responsively. Hiring more staff isn’t always a practical solution especially if you’re just starting out or if you’re only getting a large volume of calls in certain months. Our answering service can take your client’s call anytime of the day and any day of the week. Feel confident we have you covered 24/7.

Do more than just customer service
We do more than just answering your client’s queries. Our operators also schedule your current and prospective clients’ appointments and even redirect calls to the appropriate department or office within your company.

Improve your firm’s efficiency
Multi-tasking would never improve your productivity. Working on more than one task at the same time, can sacrifice.
This is why making your customer response quick and effective is why we’re here. We can make your company shine by taking your client’s calls so you can focus on other areas of your business that would benefit from your focused attention.
This is a win-win solution. You please your customers and improve your productivity at the same time.

More Customer Service Articles:

The Next Frontier: Automation in Call Centers

The Next Frontier: Automation in Call Centers

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With the advancements in technology and changing needs of our customers, automation in business is expanding and becoming extremely sophisticated. How would automation work in a call center?

Automation in Call Centers

Call centers will be upgrading and adapting to the latest automation and AI – artificial intelligence — technology to keep up with the competition.

Millennials, now in their 30s and 40s, are the world’s largest market of potential customers and are more drawn toward self-service options than human interaction. Millennials consider themselves more self-reliant and when self-service online doesn’t satisfy their questions or concerns, will opt for a call center agent.

AI is the most common form of automation that we’ve noticed these past years. AI Assistance helps a business set up a series of automated responses to commonly asked customer concerns or questions, offering a prompt reply. When set up properly, customers not satisfied with the response or with a complicated question provided by AI, can be transferred to a support agent, providing that human connection with the ability to triage the issues and provide solutions.

In addition, AI and other forms of automation technology can help analyze the data gathered from the calls as one of the ways to improve customer interaction.

Another benefit of adapting automation is that it can provide a higher level of responsiveness. An example of which is pre-emptive customer service, where calls can be evaluated and triaged to anticipate the needs of the customers based on their preferences and prior queries.

An automated response call service to respond to non-emergency calls can also be a huge help during holidays and late hours when agents are less likely to be available or take more requests.

Why Talking to a Person is Sometimes the Best Customer Service

Even with the advances in technology, today’s automation services are not enough to meet the needs of the customers. Because of this, human agents are still considered valuable assets in a call center.

By having a call center using both automation and human agents, a call center can be more effective in providing customers with a more successful experience and outcome. AI bots can obtain information from customers while human agents can handle that first level of actual customer interaction saving the call center agents to resolve more complex information for customers.

Automation is a good thing and will continue to improve but it doesn’t eliminate the need for human agents. The goal for a company is to use automation successfully while not de-personalizing the customer’s experience. When done right (creating and following a good, structured process), it can be a valuable customer service improvement tool.

How much does a virtual receptionist cost?

How much does a virtual receptionist cost?

Appoinment Setting/ Favorites/ Receptionist Services/ Small Business

How much does a virtual receptionist cost?

Virtual Receptionist service costs about $4 per hour. About 75% less than hiring an employee at $12 per hour. Additionally, businesses save money because they don’t have to manage or pay employee taxes or benefits on the service.

What can a virtual receptionist do for my business?

A virtual receptionist can manage a calendar for service providers, take messages and provide general customer support. Law offices, Chriropratcors and other types of businesses can benefit from having extended support hours, thereby improving the opportunity to gain more customers.

How does a virtual receptionist service work?

A business hires a type of contact center that specializes in helping small businesses. The business owner gives the provider instructions on how to handle calls and access to an online calendar or CRM. This would be the same type of training one would give an employee working directly for the company. The process can be personalized to the business owner’s needs.

How does a virtual receptionist benefit a company?

The many benefits of hiring a virtual receptionist. One, a small business can reduce costs. Two, the company can use the extra support to raise productivity with the inhouse team. Three, Virtual receptionist work in teams, so there is always someone available to handle customer questions or book appointments.

Can a virtual receptionist handle emails or chat?

Yes, a virtual receptionist can respond to email or chat. The small business owner can customize the experience to meet there clients’ needs.

Is a virtual receptionist service the same as an answering service?

A virtual receptionist is similar to an answering service but can handle more complex support calls. Most answering services will take a message and send the information off to on-call staff after hours. A virtual reception, on the other hand, acts as an extension of the team. Typically the caller will not know the difference from someone in the office or vice versa.

Where can I find information about Virtual Receptionist services?

You can find out more about our virtual receptionist service by calling Contact One today. We will provide you with a personalized quote with all the details you need for your business.

More Virtual Receptionist Articles:

We Provide 24/7 Support So You Can Too!

We Provide 24/7 Support So You Can Too!

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Running a business is challenging enough. If you find yourself struggling to keep the balance, getting the services of a call center may be right for you.

Unlike getting another full-time, in-house employee, an answering service can save you more money without compromising customer support. Call center agents can take your calls promptly and professionally, do customer support, schedule or cancel appointments, re-direct calls, and so much more. On top of that, you can get these services for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And yes, that includes the holidays.

Why 24/7 Customer Support Matter

Offering 24/7 customer support can be a huge plus in your business. It can:

Boost your sales
The “instant gratification” mentality of today’s consumers can work well on your favor if you offer 24/7 customer support. Suppose someone would want to know about your product but it’s 9 P.M. in a country across the globe. If you’re not open for business, your prospective customer will look somewhere else.
Improve your customer service
A lot of customers these days expect to receive help when they need it. Whether it’s technical support, billing, or general information, having 24/7 customer support can make a difference. Creating a more positive experience for your customers can consequently boost your company’s image.
Help you save money
Hiring in-house employees who can handle customer service 24/7 can be a huge expense in your company. With a reliable 24/7 call center, you can save money without compromising customer support and your productivity.

Contact One has been in the call center industry for years. We have well-trained agents who can do more than just customer support. You can request for a quote by filling out this form here.

References:

https://www.teledirect.com/5-reasons-247-call-center-may-be-right-for-business/

https://www.telerep.com/blog/uncategorized/reap-the-benefits-of-247-call-center-answering-service/

Let ContactOne Boost Your Small Business

Let ContactOne Boost Your Small Business

Receptionist Services

Taking customer calls is one of the common struggles of business owners. If this task is also on your list, then maybe it’s time to outsource it to a reputable call center.

How can a call center company help you?

A reputable call center has well-trained agents who can take your customers’ calls promptly and professionally. When it comes to cost, you can actually save more with the services from a call center compared to hiring an in-office receptionist. Plus, we can take calls, provide basic customer service, and more 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (holidays included).

Contact One has been in this industry for decades. Our live answering services benefit several industries, including:

Law Offices
With our virtual receptionist support, we can help your law firm to manage your online calendar. We can also act as your ‘gatekeepers’ so you can focus more on your clients. With our 24/7 availability, you don’t have to worry about your evening and weekend calls as we can also take care of those.

Physicians/Healthcare
We have HIPAA-compliant medical answering services to keep your patients’ health information secure and confidential. We have well-trained agents who can manage urgent patient calls outside your usual business hours. Plus, we have HIPAA-compliant messaging services for relaying securely patient information in real-time.

We have full-time virtual receptionists who won’t just take your calls but also answer patients’ questions, book and reschedule appointments, relay emergency calls, and handle overflow calls when your in-house staff are unavailable.

Small Business
For many small businesses, calls can still get overwhelming even with the most efficient staff. Contact One can definitely help you with that.

We can manage your calls, take messages, forward voicemails, send you relevant text information, and even redirect important calls to your cell phone.We offer nights, weekend, and holiday coverage, so you can get a good sleep without having to worry about calls on those times.

Spa and Salon
Our 24/7 coverage allows your stylists to focus on their clients 100% without having to worry about missing calls. We can book your clients’ appointments on weekends and other days that your doors are closed. And with our superb live answering and customer service, your clients won’t notice a difference.

Home Maintenance and Contractors
If you’re a contractor and running a business, it can be tough to juggle field work and phone customer service. It’s an area we can help you with.

We can manage your incoming calls and schedule emergency and routine service appointments for you. While you’re in the field, our receptionists can set appointments for you, notifying you by text or call for the next service location.

Running a business, regardless of its size, can be a challenge. Let us help you get more productive and improve your customer satisfaction. Contact us for a quote.

More Small Business Answering Services Articles:

Medical Answering Services for Better Communication

Medical Answering Services for Better Communication

Blog/ Receptionist Services

Lasting patient-doctor relationships rely on continuous communication—one that isn’t confined within business hours. However, if you have a growing number of patients, it can be a challenge to juggle your medical practice and maintaining that communication with your patients. This is where a medical answering service can be of great help.

What’s a medical answering service?

A medical answering service is a specialized answering service that takes care of your incoming calls. This allows you and your staff to be more productive without compromising customer care for your existing and prospective clients.

How does it work?

Your incoming calls are routed to a remote, live receptionists who are well-trained to handle calls in the medical practice. These receptionists can handle basic customer service inquiries, make appointments for incoming patients, and forward emergency calls to the right parties.

Choosing the Right Medical Answering Service

If you want to attract more clients and retain existing ones, it’s important to choose the right medical answering service.

Contact One is a reputable U.S.-based answering service that’s been around for decades. It provides 24/7 answering service to different industries in the United States and Canada.

Why choose Contact One?

Medical practitioners across the country trust us for healthcare-specific patient solutions because of the following:

We are strictly HIPAA-compliant.

We make sure that our clients’ health information remains secure and protected. Our agents use secure HIPAA-compliant messaging platforms to relay information to patients in the most secure way possible.

We offer 24/7 coverage.

We manage urgent patient calls 24/7 including weekends and holidays. We have call processing protocols for emergency calls, on which urgent matters are forwarded to the on-call physician.

We have full-service receptionists.

We offer full-service virtual receptionists who can take calls, answer questions, and book and re-schedule patient appointments.

We offer support during peak hours.

We can help you manage your calls during your busy periods so you and your staff can remain productive without sacrificing customer care.

Are you ready to improve your productivity and improve customer care? Call us and we can talk for solutions that will suit your practice well.

Reference:

https://www.answeringservicecare.net/what-does-a-medical-answering-service-do

5 Benefits for Outsourcing Your Customer Support

5 Benefits for Outsourcing Your Customer Support

Receptionist Services

Customer service is undoubtedly an essential part of running a business. No matter how great your product is, if you have poor customer service, no one will buy from you. Unfortunately, not everyone has enough resources to maintain it after the clients’ purchases. Don’t feel dissuaded if you find yourself in this situation. You can still provide customer service to your clients without putting additional burden to your employees.

What’s the solution? Outsourcing your customer service.

Here are some of the benefits of doing it:

You save money and other resources.

Hiring a new employee for customer service isn’t always the most practical option. The expense can add up so quickly. On top of that, you have to set aside time for recruiting, hiring, and training. You don’t have to do all these and spend a lot when you outsource your customer service.

You are ensured of 24/7 customer support.

Unless you’re hiring multiple employees for customer support, your clients’ calls are less likely to be taken care of 24/7.

When you outsource your customer support, your clients’ calls will be answered, no matter what time of the day or day of the week it is. This can ultimately leave a positive image on your company.

You can improve your staff’s productivity.

By outsourcing your customer support, you don’t have to worry about losing the personalized touch especially when you have chosen a reliable call center. This is often a difficult task to keep in-house especially if your staff is already bombarded with multiple tasks.

You gain better control over the calls.

External agencies have better telephone equipment that enable them to queue or re-route calls. This equipment is usually a huge expense for a small company.

When you outsource, you have better control over calls, without having an additional expense for a new telephone equipment.

You provide your customers with better experience.

Immediate response to calls and 24/7 availability can instantly leave a positive impression in your company. But you have to remember that not all call centers are created equal. So, make sure you choose the one that’s highly rated and one that can vouch for high quality customer service.

References:

https://www.billgosling.com/blog/7-advantages-of-outsourcing-customer-support

https://newmediaservices.com.au/call-center-outsourcing-benefits/

Don’t Hang Up! Keep Customers On the Line!

Don’t Hang Up! Keep Customers On the Line!

Receptionist Services

Excellent customer service is everything. It can turn first-time customers into loyal ones.

What is customer service?
Customer service refers to the entire process of making your customers feel valued. Superb customer service begins with that genuine desire to delight your customers.

Customer Service in Phone Conversations
Phone interactions can be tricky as customers can’t see you. This is where you have to go above and beyond to make them feel heard and valued. The following tips can help you do that:

Speak in a friendly voice
Speaking in a friendly tone is one thing that can make your customers feel like you genuinely care about their problem and ready to offer them solutions.
Smile like you mean it
Your customers may not see you but they can tell if you are smiling or have a blank expression.
Use their names
Calling your customer “sir” or “ma’am” may be polite but studies have shown that customers respond better when agents use their name. When you talk to customers using their name, it activates certain parts of their brain, making them more comfortable talking to you. However, don’t overdo it as it may end up in an awkward conversation.
Be positive
Sometimes, you’ll encounter irate customers. The best way to deal with them is by staying positive. It’s also important to stay positive when offering alternative solutions. Instead of saying, ‘we can’t do that’ try ‘I’d be more than happy to offer…’
Use verbal ‘nods’
Verbal nods like “mhm..” and “ah yes, I understand..” make the customers feel that they are heard. It’s very important especially in phone conversations when the person on the other line can’t see you.

References:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/providing-excellent-customer-service-2951744
https://customerthink.com/

How do I lower employee costs?

How do I lower employee costs?

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4 Ideas for saving on employee costs.
You need employees to help run your business, but sometimes employee costs get out of hand. The minimum wage increases or the market for employees just becomes more competitive. This can be a huge challenge for small businesses that work with a small team. Sure, you can cut the number of employees but that can send the wrong signal to the team or customers. Here are a few tips that might help.

Start with Productivity
A better approach is to focus your efforts on increasing productivity. If you have a productive team it will be easier to absorb the costs because your team will produce more revenue for the same cost of labor. How do you do this? It is not always easy. Start by assessing the work they perform and look at ways of removing unnecessary tasks. Almost every small business will find that their team performs activities that don’t add to the bottom line, find them and remove those chores. Often, they are easy jobs that don’t require a lot of skill and some employees will choose that work over more challenging activities.

Focus on sales
Find ways of focusing your efforts on the work that generates revenue and creates efficiency. If your business relies on referrals, use that free time to have team members write thank you notes to customers, or call them and ask them if they are pleased with the service you provided and how you can improve. At the very least they will be reminded of the value of the services you provide and be more likely to refer a friend or ask you to do more work. Customers what to be appreciated. When you reach out to clients you give them an opportunity to do more business with you, all too often people get busy with life and put off things that may require your services.

Can you outsource
Outsource the activities that are not your strong suit. That might include virtual receptionist service that can take calls when your team is busy or your office is closed. At Contact One our services are usually much less than the cost of hiring employees directly. Outsourcing can free up time for your team to focus on performing the work that your customers hire you to do. Plus there is the added benefit of having someone answer your calls after hours and setting appointments for your team.

Check your pricing
Lastly, make sure you are charging enough for your services. You probably are ready to know of competitors that charge more than you do for a similar service. Try “shopping” your competition if you don’t.

Recently we needed someone to work on the generator at our office. It took me almost a month to find a business that would return my call. When they did, they gave me a quote over the phone and never followed up. Fortunately, I was able to get a referral from a friend. When I called someone one answered my call right away and the owner came to meet with me the next day. His proposal was more than twice the cost of the previous company I spoke with. I chose them because they presented an action plan and offered a guarantee. The rate he charged enabled him to hire the staff needed to support his customers and provide great service. The takeaway is that small grow when then invest in the resources that keep their clients happy and those resources pay dividends.